Enhanced shape support grid

ABSTRACT

A support grid assembly for use in a vessel. The support grid assembly includes panels each including a first wall including a media-supporting screen and a second wall to be supported by the vessel wall inner surface. A manifold is coupled to the panels and is in hydraulic communication with vessel outlet. The manifold and the panels permit fluid to flow through the screen in each panel, through the panels, into the manifold, and through the manifold to the outlet of the vessel, as well as in the reverse direction. At least a portion of the first wall may slope downward toward the manifold, and at least a portion of the second wall may form a bottom surface that is curved to substantially conform to a curvature of the vessel wall inner surface. The panels may be arranged in a circular configuration extending radially from the manifold.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional application of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 13/952,113, now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 10,933,353, filed Jul.26, 2013, which claims the benefit of U.S. Patent Application No.61/676,156, filed Jul. 26, 2012 and U.S. Patent Application No.61/809,091, filed Apr. 5, 2013, all of which are incorporated herein byreference in their entirety.

FIELD

Embodiments disclosed herein generally relate to a support grid for usein a vessel containing a media bed, which may include a filteringsurface supporting the media bed and be supported by an inner surface ofthe vessel.

BACKGROUND

In some petrochemical and general industry applications, internalscreens are needed in process pressure vessels for the purposes offiltering and supporting filter media. For some of these applications,however, the process induces large loads on the internal screen surfacesand generates extreme swings in temperature ranges that cause thermalexpansion. Traditional flat surface grid assemblies may be located nearthe tangent line of the head to shell weld. With such designs, theentire volume of the head may be a dead area, with no reaction or dryingadsorption occurring. Further, the typical flat grid's design mayrequire support beams to carry the weight of the bed and the processpressure differential.

With respect to the utilization of a media bed in the vessel, in sometraditional installations, during down flow in a vessel a central outletmay be used and may cause flow to move sideways as it reaches lowerelevations of the bed. Flow rates can vary within only a single level ofthe bed, causing poorly utilized catalyst and potential earlybreakthrough of the sieve. In an up flow case, an outlet basket coveringthe nozzle may create poor distributed flow. The implications for bedregeneration can be quite severe, and may have the potential for earlybreakthrough and effective loss of bed height.

In designing vessels, it is often desirable to provide the end user witha maximum vessel volume, to effectively resist the expected processloads, and to provide a good distribution pattern for flows movingthrough the vessel.

SUMMARY

In accordance with one embodiment disclosed herein, a support gridassembly for use in a vessel including a wall with an inner surface isprovided. The support grid assembly includes at least one panelincluding a first wall including a screen configured to support a media,and a second wall configured to be supported by the inner surface of thewall of the vessel. A manifold is coupled to and in hydrauliccommunication with the at least one panel and configured to be inhydraulic communication with an inlet or outlet of the vessel, dependingon the mode of operation. In some such embodiments, at least a portionof the first wall of the at least one panel is configured to slopedownward toward the manifold when installed in the vessel, at least aportion of the second wall of the at least one panel forms a bottomsurface that is curved to substantially conform to a curvature of theinner surface of the wall of the vessel, or a combination thereof. Insome such embodiments and in combination with any of the aboveembodiments, the at least one panel includes a plurality of panelscoupled to and in hydraulic communication with the manifold.

In some embodiments and in combination with any of the aboveembodiments, wherein the manifold and the plurality of panels areconfigured to permit fluid to flow in a first direction through openingsin the screen, through the at least one panel, into the manifold, andthrough the manifold directed to the outlet of the vessel, in a second,reverse direction, or in both directions. In some embodiments and incombination with any of the above embodiments, each panel is inhydraulic communication with the manifold via a tubular connection.

In some embodiments and in combination with any of the aboveembodiments, the manifold includes an outlet that directs flow to theoutlet of the vessel, and the tubular connection and manifold outlet areconfigured such that fluid flows through the tubular connection in adirection opposite fluid flow through the manifold outlet. In someembodiments and in combination with any of the above embodiments, themanifold outlet is configured to direct flow downward. In someembodiments and in combination with any of the above embodiments, themanifold has an upper end and a top screen is mounted to the upper endof the manifold.

In some embodiments and in combination with any of the aboveembodiments, the manifold includes an outlet that directs flow to theoutlet of the vessel, and the tubular connection and manifold outlet areconfigured such that fluid flows through the tubular connection m thesame direction as fluid flow through the manifold outlet. In someembodiments and in combination with any of the above embodiments, themanifold outlet is configured to direct flow upward.

In some embodiments and in combination with any of the aboveembodiments, the tubular connection from each panel to the manifold ismade through a bottom surface of the manifold, top surface of themanifold, side surface of the manifold, or any combination thereof.

In some embodiments and in combination with any of the aboveembodiments, the tubular connection is at a connection interface, andcomprises a bellows element or a joint that allows expansion andcontraction of components around the connection interface.

In some embodiments and in combination with any of the aboveembodiments, the manifold comprises flow control vanes or other flowcontrol mechanisms. In some embodiments and in combination with any ofthe above embodiments, each panel defines a volume, and within thevolume are flow control vanes or other flow control mechanisms. In somesuch embodiments, the flow control vanes comprise supports for thescreen of each panel.

In some embodiments and in combination with any of the aboveembodiments, the panels are arranged in a circular configurationextending radially from the manifold, and the panels have a proximal endnear the manifold and an opposite, wider distal end. In some embodimentsand in combination with any of the above embodiments, the second wall ofat least one panel includes a screen, and in some embodiments and incombination with any of the above embodiments, all walls of at least onepanel include a screen.

In some embodiments and in combination with any of the aboveembodiments, the support grid assembly includes a layer of compressiblematerial configured to be interposed between the bottom surface of thepanels and the inner surface of the vessel. When the support gridassembly is installed in the vessel, the bottom surface of the panelsengages the layer of compressible material and the layer of compressiblematerial engages the inner surface of the vessel. In some suchembodiments, the layer of compressible material comprises a thermalgasket. In other such embodiments, the layer of compressible materialcomprises textured fiberglass yam.

In some embodiments and in combination with any of the aboveembodiments, the support grid assembly includes a bellows element or ajoint that allows expansion and contraction hydraulically interposedbetween the manifold and the inlet or outlet of the vessel.

In some embodiments and in combination with any of the aboveembodiments, each panel includes a side extending substantially radiallyfrom proximate to the manifold, and a swing arm is pivotally mounted toa side of at least two adjacent panels for attaching to a swing arm ofthe adjacent panel. In some such embodiments, a support bar is mountedto the side of each panel, and the swing arm is mounted to the side ofeach adjacent panel by being pivotally mounted to the support bar. Insome embodiments and in combination with any of the above embodiments,wherein each panel includes a side extending substantially radially fromproximate to the manifold and a support bar is mounted to the side ofeach panel.

In some embodiments and in combination with any of the aboveembodiments, the support grid assembly includes a rod mounted to themanifold and a support member defining a channel and hook portionmounted to the panel, wherein the rod is received in the channel andhook portion to couple the panel to the manifold.

In accordance with another embodiment disclosed herein, another supportgrid assembly for use in a vessel including a wall with a curved innersurface is provided. The support grid assembly includes means forsupporting a filter media in the vessel and means for receiving filteredprocess fluid from the means for supporting the filter media. The meansfor supporting the filter media includes a curved surface configured toconform to and be proximate to the curvature of the inner surface of thewall of the vessel proximate to a lower end of the vessel. In some suchembodiments, the means for receiving filtered process fluid defines aplurality of openings for receiving filtered process fluid from aplurality of means for supporting the filter media. In accordance withanother embodiment disclosed herein, a method of making a support gridassembly for a vessel is provided. The method includes fabricating aplurality of panels, each panel including a first wall including ascreen configured to support a media, and a second wall configured to besupported by an inner surface of the wall of the vessel proximate to alower end of the vessel. At least a portion of the second wall of eachof the plurality of panels forms a bottom surface that is curved tosubstantially match a curvature of the inner surface of the wall of thevessel. A manifold is fabricated that defines a plurality of openingsfor receiving the plurality of panels to place the manifold and thepanel in hydraulic communication. The plurality of panels is coupled tothe manifold to place the plurality of panels in hydraulic communicationwith the manifold. In some such embodiments, when coupled, the manifoldand the plurality of panels are configured to permit fluid to flow in afirst direction through openings in the screen, through the at least onepanel, into the manifold, and through the manifold directed to an outletof the vessel, in a second, reverse direction, or in both directions. Insome such embodiments, the method includes placing a layer ofcompressible material on the inner surface of the wall of the vesselprior to assembling the plurality of panels to the manifold, with thelayer of compressible material configured to be between the panels andthe inner surface of the wall of the vessel.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a more complete understanding, reference should now be had to theembodiments shown in the accompanying drawings and described below. Inthe drawings:

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-section view of a vessel in which anembodiment of a support grid assembly is disposed.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a support grid assemblydisposed in a vessel head according to one embodiment.

FIGS. 3 and 4 are perspective views of portions of the support gridassembly of FIG. 2 in the vessel head illustrating the interior of amanifold assembly.

FIGS. 5A and 5B are perspective and elevation cross-sectional views,respectively, of the support grid assembly of FIG. 2 in the vessel head.

FIGS. 6A and 6B are perspective and partially exposed perspective viewsof a portion of the support grid assembly of FIG. 2, respectively.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a portion of the support grid assemblyof FIG. 2.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a portion of a support grid assemblyaccording to another embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a portion of a support grid assemblyaccording to another embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a plan view of another embodiment of a support grid assemblydisposed in a vessel head.

FIG. 11 is a section view of the support grid assembly of FIG. 10 takenalong line 11-11 of FIG. 10.

FIG. 12 is an exploded view of the support grid assembly of FIG. 10.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the support grid assembly of FIG. 10.

FIG. 14 is a detail view of a connection of panels of the support gridassembly of FIG. 10.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following detailed description of embodiments refers to theaccompanying drawings, which illustrate specific embodiments. Otherembodiments having different structures and operation do not depart fromthe scope of the present disclosure.

Embodiments disclosed herein include a support grid assembly that may beused within tanks or vessels to support media beds through which fluidsare directed. Such media beds may be used in a variety of processes,including but not limited to catalytic, molecular sieves, aluminadrying, resin ion exchange, carbon filtering, etc. Various fluids,including but not limited to liquid, gas, oil, water, etc., may beprocessed through the vessel. The vessel may be oriented vertically,horizontally, or in other orientations and configurations known in theart. The vessel may generally comprise a body and head portions coupledat opposite ends of the body to form a sealed interior vessel volume.The support grid assembly may be disposed along and utilize the innersurface of the vessel head for structural support, as well as tomaximize the interior vessel volume for use by additional media andother interior components.

The support grid assembly may include a plurality of panels having afiltering surface formed by one or more screens on the top, side,bottom, or other exposed surface of the panels, and a manifold coupledto the panels. The panels may be, in some embodiments, radially disposedabout the manifold. The screens may support a media bed, and in certainmodes such adown flow, fluid may flow through the media bed and thescreens into the panels. Fluid may then flow into the manifold and outof the vessel. Fluid may also flow directly into the manifold through ascreen or perforated plate portion that forms a top of the manifold.Alternatively, the direction of flow may be reversed, such as in certainmodes of up flow, and flow into the manifold may be distributed to thepanels, with flow then passing out of the panels, through the screens,and into the vessel. Flow through the assembly in either an up flow ordown flow condition can be compressible (gas) or incompressible(liquid).

Certain terminology is used herein for convenience only and is not to betaken as a limitation on the embodiments described. For example, wordssuch as “top”, “bottom”, “upper,” “lower,” “left,” “right,”“horizontal,” “vertical,” “upward,” and “downward” merely describe theconfiguration shown in the figures. Indeed, the referenced componentsmay be oriented in any direction and the terminology, therefore, shouldbe understood as encompassing such variations unless specifiedotherwise. Throughout this disclosure, where a process or method isshown or described, the method may be performed in any order orsimultaneously, unless it is clear from the context that the methoddepends on certain actions being performed first.

Referring to the drawings, where like reference numerals refer to thesame or similar parts, FIG. 1 shows a support grid assembly 40 in avessel 42 according to one embodiment. The support grid assembly 40 maybe concentrically disposed in a lower vessel head 44 of the cylindricalvessel 42. The vessel 42 may also include, for example, a vessel body46, interior vessel components (not shown), the opposite vessel head 48,an inlet 52, and an outlet 54. A fluid surface 56 is shown with flow“F”, which in certain modes of operation could be in the oppositedirection. Filter media is not shown. One example of a vessel that canbe used with the embodiments described herein is illustrated in FIG. 4of U.S. Pat. No. 5,015,383, the contents of which are hereinincorporated by reference in their entirety.

The support grid assembly 40 includes one or more grid panels 60 coupledto a center manifold 62. FIG. 1 illustrates eight panels 60, althoughany number of panels may be used, with the panels 60 radially disposedaround the manifold 62. The panels 60 may be coupled to the manifold 62using a pipe-based interface with flange or socket type connections thatform a seal between the panels 60 and the manifold 62. Other types ofinterfaces and connections known in the art may be used with theembodiments described herein.

The panels 60 may rest against the inner wall of the vessel head 44 forstructural support. The panels 60 may be formed from walls with, forexample, a first wall that includes one or more sections of screens 64,66 that are supported by one or more other walls 68, 70, 72. The walls68, 70, 72 are secured together to form a sealed enclosure, which may beconsidered to be, for example, a housing. The bottom surface of thepanel 60 (or second wall 70) may be supported by and curved to conformto or approximately match the curvature of the curved inner surface ofthe wall of the vessel head 44. At least a portion of the first wall,such as screen 66, may slope downward toward the manifold 62. This mayincrease the volume in the vessel 42 available for fluid. Any panelsurface, including any walls 68, 70, 72, may include one or morescreens. In one embodiment, the bottom surface of one or more panels 60(second wall 70) includes a screen. In another embodiment, all walls ofone or more panels 60 include screens.

The panels 60 may also rest against a gasket or other intermediatecompressible layer surface between the panels 60 and the vessel wall.This additional gasket or layer is intended to fill any gap andexcessive spaces between the panel and the vessel wall or shell.Although the screens 64, 66 and walls 68, 70, 72 are illustrated asgenerally rectangular or trapezoidal in shape, other configurations,shapes, or number of screen sections may be used with the embodimentsdescribed herein. For example, the nose of the panel 60 may be curvedand, in some embodiments, formed from pipe and the end of the panel maybe formed from a small strip of material. Each panel 60 may include asupport bar 80 for support or handling purposes. In the embodimentshown, each panel 60 is also connected to an adjacent panel 60 by arigid connection 82, such as a plate and bolt connection, for support,handling, or load distribution purposes. Other types of spacing,shimming, or gap compensating methods known in the art can also beapplied to the embodiments disclosed herein.

Media, such as catalyst, may be supported on the panels 60. Inparticular, the media may be disposed on the upper surfaces of thescreens 64, 66. Fluid may flow through the media, through the screens64, 66 into the manifold 62, and out of the vessel 42. The screens 64,66 are configured to permit fluid flow but prevent the media fromflowing out of the vessel 42.

In one embodiment, the screens 64, 66 of the upper surface of the panels60, the screens included in any other wall 68, 70, 72, or screens forany embodiment disclosed herein may include a plurality of spaced filterwires supported on support rods. In one embodiment, such screens mayinclude wire with a substantially triangular cross-section, and mayinclude Vee-Wire® type screens (VEE-WIRE is a registered trademark ofBilfinger Water Technologies Inc.) or wedge wire type screens. In oneembodiment, such screens may include plates having perforations, slots,and/or other filter-type openings. In one embodiment, the wires andplate openings may be oriented symmetrically, asymmetrically,horizontally, vertically, tangentially, and combinations thereofrelative to the longitudinal axis of the panel 60. In one embodiment,the spacing and sizes of wires and plate openings vary along the lengthsof such screens. In one embodiment, such screens may include one or anycombination of filter wires, plates, features with perforations,features that otherwise provide a plurality of filter-type openings, andflow control vanes. Such screens may include the embodiments like thosedisclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,663,774, filed on Oct. 16, 2001 andspecifically with respect to the filter wires 28 and the support rods 20described therein, and embodiments like those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.7,425,264, filed on Jul. 18, 2005 and specifically with respect to thewires 16 and the support rods 17 described therein, the contents of bothof which patents are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety.

The manifold 62 may include a top screen 90 at the upper end of themanifold 62, and the top screen 90 may include the same features as thescreens 64, 66 described above. Media may be supported on the uppersurface of the screen 90. Alternatively, the top screen 90 could be aperforated plate or a member that has other openings that allow fluidthrough while supporting media. Fluid may flow through the media,through the openings in the top screen 90 and past the top screen 90,and directly into the manifold 62. In one embodiment, the top screen 90may include a screen portion disposed above a perforated plate portion,with one or more flow control vanes disposed between the screen andplate portions. The manifold 62 may be coupled to an in hydrauliccommunication with an outlet 54 of the vessel 40. In other words, theinterior volume defined by the panels 60 may be in hydrauliccommunication with the interior volume of the manifold 62, which may bein hydraulic communication with the vessel outlet 54.

FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate the interior of the manifold 62. The manifold62 may include upper and lower flanges 92, 94 and a body 96 and one ormore flow control vanes 98 disposed between the flanges 92, 94. Theupper flange 92 may be used to support the top screen 90. The lowerflange 94 may be used to couple the manifold 62 to the panels 60 via oneor more tubular connections, such as pipes 100 as further describedbelow, to place the panels 60 and manifold 62 in hydrauliccommunication. The lower flange 94 may also be coupled to a manifoldoutlet 102, such as a flanged pipe, which couples the manifold 62 to thevessel head 44 and which is in fluid communication with the vesseloutlet 54 (illustrated in FIGS. SA and SB). One or more flow controlvanes 104 may be supported by the top screen 90, and in particular maybe coupled to the bottom surface of the top screen 90. The flow controlvanes 104 may be disposed radially within the manifold 62, and mayextend at least partially into the manifold outlet 102. In addition toor in place of flow control vanes, other flow control mechanisms may beprovided as known to one of ordinary skill in the art for directional orflow characteristic management, or in general to divert or restrictflow, of the fluid. Examples of other flow control mechanisms includetubes, perforated plates, and cones.

FIGS. 5A and 5B illustrate sectional views of the support grid assembly40. The flanged portion of the manifold outlet 102 is shown bolted tothe lower flange 94 of the manifold 62. The manifold outlet 102 may bewelded to the vessel 44, such that it is in fluid communication with thevessel outlet 54. An extension pipe 106 may also be used to form theconnection between the manifold 62 and the vessel outlet 54. Theextension pipe 106 is shown disposed at least partially in the manifoldoutlet 102 and extending into the vessel outlet 54. In one embodiment,the extension pipe 106 (or another pipe portion coupled to the extensionpipe 106) may extend through and radially outward below the vesseloutlet 54 such that a flanged section of the extension pipe 106 is usedto connect the entire vessel assembly to any other structural type ofoutlet/inlet connection. Bolting, welding, clamping, and other similartypes of structural or sealed connections known in the art may be usedwith the embodiments described herein.

The lower flange 94 of the manifold 62 is shown coupled to pipes 100 toestablish fluid communication with each of the panels 60 through abottom surface of the manifold 62. Each pipe 100 may be supported by anend portion of each panel 60, by, for example, being welded to the endportion, such as wall 72 to couple the panel 60 the manifold 62. Eachpipe 100 may include a pipe flange 108 or other similar type of shoulderportion, which is secured between the lower flange 94 and a split ring110 having two or more pieces brought together around the pipe 100 (alsoillustrated in FIGS. 6A and 6B). In particular, one or more bolts mayextend through the lower flange 94, the pipe flange 108, and the splitring 110 to secure each panel 60 to the manifold 62. The end portions ofthe panels 60 may be disposed below the main portion of the manifold 62,and may be coupled to a bottom surface, such as the lower flange 94, ofthe manifold 62. In one embodiment, a seal, such as a gasket, may bedisposed between the lower flange 94 of the manifold 62 and the pipeflange 108 of each pipe 100. In this manner, each panel 60 may be easilyconnected to and removed from the manifold 62 using a simple,structurally rigid and sealed connection. The tubular connections orpipes 100 may take a variety of forms as are known in the art. Forexample, the tubular connections could instead be fittings, such as 90degree, 180 degree, or other angle bends, or another type of ductconnection.

Referring to FIG. 5B, one or more flow arrows “F” are illustrated toshow the fluid flow paths through the support grid assembly 40. A fluiddirected to the support grid assembly 40 may first flow through anymedia disposed on the screens 64, 66, 90. As stated above, the screens64, 66, 90 may be configured to permit fluid flow but prevent the mediafrom flowing through the screens 64, 66, 90. Fluid may flow throughscreens 64, 66 into the interior of the panels 60, and may be directedalong the bottom wall 70 to the pipes 100. Screens can incorporateperforations or other restrictions to control the amount of fluid thatpasses through each surface relative to the other screen surfaces. Thefluid may then flow in an upward direction into the manifold 62, forexample, through the pipes 100 in a direction parallel to thelongitudinal axis of the vessel 42 and manifold 62 and opposite thedirection of flow into the vessel 42 and fluid flow out of the vesseloutlet 54. Fluid may also flow directly into the manifold 62 via the topscreen 90. The fluid may finally flow out of the manifold outlet 102(and extension pipe 106) in a downward direction, parallel to thelongitudinal axis of the vessel and manifold 62 and out through thevessel outlet 54 in the same direction of the general flow throughvessel 42. The flow control vanes 98, 104 or other flow controlmechanisms disposed in the manifold 62 may help direct the fluid flowand control the fluid flow distribution through the support gridassembly 40. Any number or arrangement of flow control vanes 98, 104 maybe used to optimize fluid flow direction and distribution through thesupport grid assembly 40. Flow can also move in the reverse direction ifrequired by the application process, in which case, for example, flowinto the manifold 62 from an inlet (previously outlet 54) may bedistributed to the panels 60 and flow through the screens 64, 66 in tothe vessel 42. FIGS. 6A and 6B illustrate one panel 60 connected to themanifold 62. Each panel 60 may be connected to the manifold 62 by alocking connection 112 disposed on the outer surface of the manifoldoutlet 102. In particular, the locking connection 112 may include one ormore rods 114 welded by support members 116 to the manifold outlet 102.Each panel 60 includes one or more mating connections 118 or hangers(illustrated in FIG. 7) for engagement with the locking connections 112.In particular, the mating connections 118 may include one or moresupport members 120 welded to the walls 68 of the panels 60 at the noseor end portion 121, the support members 120 each having a channel andhook portion 122 for receiving the locking connections 112. The supportmembers 120 of the mating connections 118 may be substantially parallelto the support members 116 of the locking connections 112, which may besubstantially perpendicular to the rods 114. In this manner, the panels60 may be easily secured to and removed from connection with themanifold 62. Other types of connections known in the art may be usedwith the embodiments described herein.

FIG. 7 illustrates the interior of one panel 60. As illustrated, one ormore flow control vanes 126 may also be disposed in each panel 60 todirect fluid flow and control fluid flow distribution through each panel60 and into the manifold 62. The flow control vanes 126 may be generallyparallel to the longitudinal axis of each panel 60, but include taperedends that direct fluid flow toward the pipes 100. Any number of flowcontrol vanes 126 may be used to maximize fluid flow direction anddistribution through the support grid assembly 40. Tabs or otherrestrictions can be added to the control vanes 126 to further control ormanipulate the flow characteristics inside the panel 60. As noted withrespect to the flow control vanes 104 of the manifold 62, other flowcontrol mechanisms known in the art, such as tubes, perforated plates,and cones, can also be applied to balance the flow distribution in theembodiments disclosed herein.

FIG. 8 illustrates another embodiment of a support grid assembly 140having panels 160. The assembly 140 is similar to the assembly 40described above, but the panels 160 have end portions 161 that directfluid flow down into a manifold 162 via pipes 164 disposed below thepanels 160. The pipes 164 may be connected to an upper flange 166 of themanifold 162 through a top surface of the manifold 162. An outlet pipe168 may also be coupled to the manifold 168 for fluid flow out of thevessel assembly. An interior pipe 170 may be disposed through themanifold 162 and may be in fluid communication with the interior of thevessel assembly. Such a connection may be used, for example, where thereare small or concentric outlets. The interior pipe 170 may be coveredwith a screen, similar to top screen 90, and may be utilized forbackwashing processes to clean out used media, or to meet other similarprocess requirements, from the vessel assembly. The embodiments of thesupport grid assembly 40 of FIGS. 2-7, including the panels 60, may beused with the embodiments of the support grid assembly 140 of FIG. 8,and vice versa.

FIG. 9 shows an embodiment of a panel 180 defining a volume having oneor more flow control vanes 126. The panel 180 is similar to the panels60 described above, but includes an end portion 182 that may be coupleddirectly to the body of the manifold 62, for example, at a side surfaceof the manifold 62, or to the manifold outlet 102. In this embodiment,the opening of the end portion 182 is square, but other shapes may beused. The number of flow control vanes 126, which may also function assupports, may be varied depending on the load that will be experiencedor desired flow characteristics and direction. A load that is expectedto be relatively heavy may result in more flow control vanes 126 orsupports being placed in the panel 180. The number of flow control vanes126 may decrease for smaller loads. The embodiments of the panel 180illustrated in FIG. 9 may be used with the embodiments of the supportgrid assemblies 40, 140 described above, and vice versa. One or morecombinations of the various panel 60, 160, 180 connections, includingthe pipes 100 and end portions 161, 182, may be used with theembodiments described herein.

In one method of installing the support grid assembly 40, the manifoldoutlet 102, which may be considered a center outlet sleeve, may first beattached to the vessel outlet 54 (sometimes referred to as a nozzle).The manifold outlet 102 may be welded directly to the top forged area ofthe nozzle, or welded inside the nozzle diameter with some depth ofinsertion. An alternative not requiring welding to the nozzle is to usea trapped flange at the first exterior joint to the vessel. A jig may beprovided for proper extension of the center hub into the vessel. Matingconnections 118 or hangers are provided to position the nose section ofeach panel 60 and will assist in the final sealing operation. After allpieces are placed inside the vessel and seated, a gasket (not shown) maybe used on each pipe flange 108. The lower flange 94 may then be placedover the pipes 100 and bolted to the pipe flanges 108. The lower flange94 may be sectioned to be able to pass through a manway, and then can beassembled and bolted in place. A gasket may be placed on the upperflange 92 and is ready for a final cover such as a top screen 90. Thetop screen 90 may then be seated over the gasket and bolted into place.The top screen 90 may have a flow control surface to match theperformance of the panels 60. The panels may be checked for full bearingdirectly on the lower vessel head 44 and shimmed, if necessary.Connections for tie bolts may be slotted to allow for thermal expansionand connect all the panels 60 into one assembly so no panel 60 can liftrelative to the others.

FIGS. 10-14 show another embodiment of a support grid assembly 200. Thissupport grid assembly 200, like the previous embodiments, may includeone or more grid panels 210 coupled to a center manifold 212. Themanifold 212 may include a manifold base 214, a manifold grid connectionpiece 216 or body, and a manifold top plate 218. The manifold 212 may becoupled to an outlet pipe 220 using a screen and pipe closure boltingring 222. In this embodiment the outlet pipe 220 extends upward from themanifold 212, bends at 90 degrees, and extends through an opening 222 inthe side of the vessel 42. Outside of the vessel 42, one way to connectthe outlet pipe 220 to an adjacent pipe may be with a sandwich flange224 and a spiral wound gasket 226.

In some embodiments and as shown in the support grid assembly 200 ofFIGS. 10-14, a connection interface may be provided that allowsexpansion and contraction of components of the assembly and may permitangular deflection between components. In the embodiment shown, such aconnection interface is a bellows and facilitates installation of thesupport grid assembly 200. A bellows element 230 may be provided in, orin line with, the outlet pipe 220, in this case oriented vertically in avertical portion of pipe 231, to be hydraulically interposed between themanifold outlet and the outlet pipe 220. Bellows elements 232 may alsobe provided at the connection of each panel 210 to the manifold gridconnection piece 216, also oriented vertically, in tubular connectionsor pipes 234. The bellows elements 230, 232 serve at least twofunctions. First, the manifold 212 may not be perfectly installed,either as the result of variability in manufacturing, or because of itsmounting in the vessel head 44. This variability may cause the location,angle, or both of the manifold 212 to be out of position from ideal. Theoutlet pipe 220 has a fixed position to reach and connect to outside thevessel 42, and where connections are made with flanges there is littletolerance for varied positioning. The bellows elements 230, 232 providethe ability of horizontal and vertical motion travel, as well as angularadjustment, to address variability of configuration of the components.Second, the bellows elements 230, 232 address thermal cycling and theaccompanying expansion and contraction of parts. Temperature changes,which may be frequent and extreme depending on the process, may causefatigue or weakening of the parts, and loosening of connections, amongother things. The bellows elements 230, 232 or alternatively, jointsselected by one of ordinary skill in the art, may account for expansionand contraction of the other parts. Examples of other such joints mayinclude telescoping parts with gaskets and flexible tubing or hose.

In this embodiment of a support grid assembly 200, the tubularconnections or pipes 234 may be configured such that fluid flows throughthe pipes 234 in the same direction as fluid flows through the manifoldoutlet; flow may be directed upward through the manifold 212. Again, thetubular connections or pipes 234 may also include or instead be fittingssuch as bends or other types of duct connections. Flow may be in eitherdirection, from the vessel 42 into the panels 210, into the manifold 212to the outlet pipe 220, or into the manifold 212 from an inlet pipe (thesame as outlet pipe 220), distributed to the panels 210, and into thevessel 42.

The material of the components of the support grid assemblies 40, 200disclosed herein may be selected as appropriate for the processapplication. In one embodiment the material may be AISI 304 stainlesssteel. Bellows elements 230, 232 may be selected based on the processapplication, and one example of a supplier of bellows that may beappropriate is U.S.Bellows, Inc.

The support grid assembly 200 may be supported by a layer ofcompressible material, such as an insulation blanket 236 (FIGS. 10 and11). The insulation blanket 236 may be provided between the support gridassembly 200 and the floor of the vessel head 44, and may filth void orgaps that may exist between these features. In this embodiment, theinsulation blanket 236 is shaped to approximate or be slightly largerthan the footprint of the panels 210. Appropriate materials may includeelastic materials, such as elastomers, or thermal gaskets, liketexturized fiberglass yam such as Tetraglas® (TETRAGLAS is a registeredtrademark of Darca Southern, Inc.). The material may be selected basedon characteristics that permit the filling of voids between the panels210 and the vessel head 44 floor, while providing support for the panels210, as, for example, some resilient materials might provide. Inaddition, the material should be selected as appropriate for the processapplication the material will be exposed to, such as harsh chemicals,fuels, or extreme heat. In one embodiment the insulation blanket 236 isI-inch thick Tetraglas®.

Support bars 240 may be provided. The support bars 240 may have onefunction of serving as a handle or lifting point for each panel 210. Thesupport bars 240 of this embodiment, however, may also provide aconnection point for tying the panels 210 together. The support bars 240are attached at each end to a side of a panel 210, which may be done bywelding or otherwise. As shown in FIG. 13, and in more detail in FIG.14, each of the vertical portions at the ends of the support bars 240has a swing arm 242 attached to it. At one end, the swing arms 242 havea sleeve 244 that goes around the support bar 240 and permits the arm242 to pivot. At the other end the swing arm 242 is free. The swing arm242 of one panel 210 is pivoted to meet the swing arm 242 of theadjacent panel 210, and the arms 242 are bolted to together as may beseen in FIG. 14. This may be repeated around the entire support gridassembly 200 to connect all of the panels 210 to each other. This mayeliminate the rigid connections 17 shown in FIG. 2 to provideflexibility in the installation.

The support grid assembly features described herein may allow using thevessel as a support structure, thereby eliminating or reducing the needfor additional support elements, such as beams or rings that could beadded to the vessel for support. The low profile of the support gridassembly may also increase the amount of useable volume in the vesselfor media. The support grid assembly may further include integrated flowcontrol vanes in the panels and the manifold to control and distributefluid flow through the assembly in both the inlet and outlet directions.

One use of the support grid assemblies disclosed herein may be to beinstalled into the bottom head of hydroprocessing or gas dehydrationvessels, which may promote liquid and gas flow, bed utilization,distribution and an overall efficient process. The support gridassemblies may lie directly on the bottom head surface, and may allowfor substantially all or the entire volume to be filled with media.Increased bed volume may allow for the conversion of existing vessels toachieve higher process capacity and new vessels to be built shorter inshell length. An enclosed stainless steel bottom surface of the panelsmay prevent bed material from migrating under one of the panels andleaking into the flow of the process. For systems with coking potential,a Vee-Wire® screen surface or wedge wire screen surface, for example,can be applied to the bottom and may eliminate dead areas, retainingcatalyst on the bottom surfaces. The vessel head may support the griddirectly to create a strong and rigid structure without adding specialledge rings or heavy beams to the vessel.

Each panel may be a totally enclosed element with a bolted and gasketedconnection to the manifold. The enclosed design may allow the gridassembly to expand and contract under the bed without compromising anouter perimeter seal, which may happen in a cyclic gas dehydrationapplication. During the down flow operation, the tapered design of thepanels may collect flow from substantially all of or the entire crosssection of the vessel and moves it toward the center hub outlet, and mayproduce a substantially uniform flow across the entire vessel andpromote bed utilization relative to traditional bed support systems.Away from the vessel centerline, the volumes of catalyst or sieve may begreater. The panel may match the configuration shape of the vessel head,collecting flow from all areas uniformly without having to cover theentire cross section of the vessel.

Although specific embodiments have been illustrated and describedherein, those of ordinary skill in the art appreciate that anyarrangement which is calculated to achieve the same purpose may besubstituted for the specific embodiments shown and that the embodimentsherein have other applications in other environments. This applicationis intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the presentdisclosure. The following claims are in no way intended to limit thescope of the disclosure to the specific embodiments described herein.While the foregoing is directed to embodiments of a support gridassembly and components, other and further embodiments may be devisedwithout departing from the basic scope thereof, and the scope thereof isdetermined by the claims that follow.

1-27. (canceled)
 28. A method of making a support grid assembly for avessel, comprising: fabricating a plurality of panels, each panelincluding a first wall including a screen configured to support a media,and a second wall configured to be supported by an inner surface of thewall of the vessel proximate to a lower end of the vessel, wherein atleast a portion of the second wall of each of the plurality of panelsforms a bottom surface that is curved to substantially match a curvatureof the inner surface of the wall of the vessel; fabricating a manifold,the manifold defining a plurality of openings for receiving theplurality of panels to place the manifold and the panel in hydrauliccommunication; coupling the plurality of panels to the manifold to placethe plurality of panels in hydraulic communication with the manifold.29. The method of claim 28, wherein the manifold and the plurality ofpanels are configured to permit fluid to flow in a first directionthrough openings in the screen, through the at least one panel, into themanifold, and through the manifold directed to an outlet of the vessel,in a second, reverse direction, on in both directions.
 30. The method ofclaim 28, further comprising placing a layer of compressible material onthe inner surface of the wall of the vessel prior to assembling theplurality of panels to the manifold, the layer of compressible materialconfigured to be between the panels and the inner surface of the wall ofthe vessel.
 31. The method of claim 27, wherein the step of fabricatingthe panels, further comprises: forming the screen of the first wall toinclude a first screen section and a second screen section such that thefirst screen section and the second screen section are non-planar andthe second screen section slopes downward to the manifold.
 32. Themethod of claim 27, wherein the step of fabricating the manifold,further comprises: forming a top screen on an upper end of manifold. 33.The method of claim 27, wherein the step of coupling the plurality ofpanels to the manifold, further comprises: arranging a plurality oflocking connections around the manifold, each locking connectioncorresponding to one of the openings, and engaging each panel to one ofthe opening with the associated locking connection.
 34. The method ofclaim 33, wherein each locking connection includes a rod mountedproximate each opening.
 35. The method of claim 34, wherein each panelincludes a hanger, wherein said hanger engages the corresponding rod ateach opening.
 36. The method of claim 27, wherein the step of couplingthe plurality of panels to the manifold, further comprises: arranging aplurality of connection interfaces around the manifold, each connectioninterface including a bellows element; and engaging each panel to one ofthe opening with the associated bellows element.
 37. The method of claim36, further comprising: providing vertical and horizontal movement toeach panel with the associated bellows element.
 38. The method of claim36, further comprising: accommodating thermal expansion and contractionin each panel with the associated bellows element.
 39. The method ofclaim 27, wherein coupling the plurality of panels to the manifoldfurther comprises: lifting each panel with a support bar attached toeach panel to position each panel relative to the corresponding opening.40. The method of claim 39, wherein each end of the support bar includesa vertical portion, the method further comprising: attaching a swing armto each vertical portion; pivoting adjacent swing arms on adjacentpanels to meet each other; and coupling the adjacent swing arms tointerconnect the plurality of panels.
 41. The method of claim 27,further comprising: connecting the manifold to an outlet pipe of thevessel.
 42. The method of claim 41, further comprising: positioning abellows element between the manifold and the outlet pipe.